With most of the votes in yesterday’s presidential election counted, it looks as if Costa Rica has elected its first women president by a landslide. Laura Chinchilla, a protégé of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias, has received roughly 47% of the vote, about 22 percentage points more than her closest rival.
Costa Rica, the most stable country in Latin America, has long been a popular destination for adventure-seeking travelers. San Jose hotels are full of people on their way to explore the jungles, volcanoes, rivers, and beaches of this amazingly diverse country. In honor of the country’s new president, and girl power in general, here are some great Costa Rica vacations for women only. (Costa Rica is not the first Latin American country to elect a female president by the way — Nicaragua, Panama, Chile, and Argentina have elected women leaders before.)
Costa Rica Surfing Chicas: Want to learn to hang ten without the pressure of a bunch of guys telling you what to do or monitoring your progress? You can try one of the women-only sessions offered by Del Mar surf camps. With programs in two locations, one on the central Pacific coast in Jaco, and other north of there in Nosara, Del Mar offers something for everyone. While learning or improving your surfing skills are the main goals, other camp offerings include yoga, hikes, massage, and time for relaxation.
Pura Vida Adventures: Recently included in Elle Magazine’s Hot 100 for 2010, Pura Vida’s women-only yoga and surf camps include time out for “laughter yoga” right on the beach. The camp’s name, Pura Vida, comes from the same uniquely Costa Rican expression that means the enjoyment of life, which they hope to instill in every camp participant. Past attendees rave not only about the quality of the surf instruction, but also about the facilities and the food.
Women’s Yoga & Art Retreats: Spend a week at the Sueño Azul Resort in Sarapiqui on a soul-nourishing yoga and creativity retreat for women. While the retreat is shaped around time to explore your creativity through art, as well as centering through yoga, there is also space on the agenda for hiking, horseback riding, canopy tours, swimming in waterfalls and pools, and even a trip to the impressive Arenal Volcano.
Women’s Rafting Adventures: There is nothing to make a group bond quickly like the experience of paddling a raft through frothing white water rapids. This ten-day adventure includes rafting three days on two different rivers, with the highlight being the class III-IV Pacuare River. Other adventures include canopy tours, rain forest hikes, and a visit to Costa Rica’s Caribbean shores.
Women’s Empowerment Retreats: Billed as transforming life safaris in tropical Costa Rica, these retreats are aimed at women who want to combine the vacation of a lifetime with life renewal. Designed for women of all ages who are seeking to give themselves a “Life Lift” of mind, body, and spirit, these retreats integrate life coaching sessions into a week of soft adventures that include rafting, zip-lining, jungle tours, and tai chi.
